Communications networks include communications network sites that facilitate a user's efforts to access and obtain information from other communications network sites that are coupled to or exist on the networks. The communications network currently used by most individuals is the Internet. The Internet includes many websites that seek to disseminate information, content, products or services. The websites often includes a search engine that assists users to locate desired information, products, services, content, etc.
The owners of websites obtain revenue, in part, from advertisers that advertise on the websites. The advertisers pay the websites to display their advertisement based on the number of hits the websites receive. The websites, therefore, desire to attract individuals to access their respective websites and, for example, use an application such as a search engine, advertisement bar, tool bar or other content included on or provided by their websites, rather than to visit another website that may contain the same or a competing application.
There exists a need for creating an incentive for a user to access a particular a communications network site, rather than other communications network sites, on the communications network so that the site can increase the revenues it receives from advertisers.